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Thompson missed the NFL meetings in March

The Canada Day long weekend saw some fantastic storylines in Major League Soccer, with last-minute goals coming in games played in Philadelphia, Montreal, San Jose and Los Angeles adding to the drama. For Canadas three MLS teams, the results were mixed. Toronto FC fell to Real Salt Lake, 1-0 at BMO Field, continuing TFCs winless streak on home soil. The last time the Reds picked up maximum points on the grass pitch down by the lakeshore was on July 18, 2012, when they beat the Colorado Rapids by a score of 2-1. A loss to Real Salt Lake wasnt entirely unexpected; the Western Conference leaders are the form team in MLS right now, having won seven of their last nine games. Toronto FC had a few fleeting chances, with the best falling to Bobby Convey just inside the penalty box after Danny Koevermans found the winger cutting inside, only for Convey to poke his ensuing shot wide of the target. There was a penalty appeal by Jeremy Brockie in the first half, after the Kiwi went down following contact with Real Salt Lake defender Nat Borchers. The referee made the correct decision in waving away Brockies appeal, as Brockie simply ran into Borchers after pushing the ball beyond the defender. While there was contact – Borchers clipped his own heels and went down as a result – it wasnt instigated by the defender and certainly didnt merit a penalty kick. Toronto FC head coach Ryan Nelsen felt otherwise, saying in the post-game press conference that they were denied a “stone-cold penalty”. Whether it was an attempt to deflect criticism away from yet another uninspiring performance is unclear. What is very evident is that Toronto FC is in dire need of a creative influence in midfield. Expect the upcoming transfer window to be a busy one for Nelsen and General Manager Kevin Payne, as the two continue to try to turn Toronto into a contender. There was controversy in Washington, D.C. as the Vancouver Whitecaps held on for a 1-0 win against United. Camilo scored the games only goal after he smashed home a penalty kick early in the second half following a foul by DC goalkeeper Bill Hamid on Vancouver midfielder Matt Watson. The controversy arose because replays clearly show that Hamid played the ball before making contact with Watson, who went sprawling under the challenge. Proponents of the call argue that “getting the ball first” isnt a defence for Hamid. They claim that his challenge was careless, and merited a foul being given. That the foul occurred inside the penalty area meant that referee Matt Foerster had no choice but to award a penalty. Critics argue that Hamids challenge was a legal one; he got the ball first, and his momentum carried him into Watson. It wasnt careless, but rather a strong challenge to win the ball. I agree with the critics. I do not want our game to become so sanitized that players are unable to challenge for the ball, knowing that even the slightest contact will result in a foul, a card or a penalty being given. Contact between players has always been a part of the game and denying a goal-scoring opportunity – as Hamid did when he came out to challenge Watson – can swing the momentum in a game. The referees job is to ensure that whatever contact occurs is within the laws of the game, but I feel that we are beginning to err too far on the side of caution. If this carries on, it wont be long before no contact at all is allowed in the game. The controversy masked the fact that Vancouver has been on a tidy little run of late, winning five of their last seven games to drag themselves into the playoff race in the Western Conference. The Whitecaps have a tough week coming up, though, with an away game against Sporting KC on Wednesday (which can be seen live on TSN at 9pm et/6pm pt) followed by a home game against Cascadia rivals Seattle Sounders on Saturday (also on TSN, 11pm et/8pm pt). The Montreal Impact were involved in a seven-goal thriller at Stade Saputo in Montreal, conceding in stoppage time to lose 4-3 to the Colorado Rapids. In head coach Marco Schallibaums first season in charge, the Impact have been in fantastic form, sitting atop the Eastern Conference with 29 points from 15 games played. They have games in hand on all of the teams chasing them, and if the Impact can convert those games into points, they will have a very good chance of making their first MLS playoff appearance in just their second year in the league. The Impact are anchored by some excellent senior players - Patrice Bernier, Marco Di Vaio, Alessandro Nesta and Matteo Ferrari to name a few. They have also made some very good off-season additions, with one of them – Daniele Paponi – scoring two goals against Colorado. If the Impact can stay healthy, they have more than enough to challenge not just for a playoff place, but also for a deep run into the post-season. The Impact will kick off an MLS double header on TSN on Wednesday when they renew their rivalry with Toronto FC at 7pm et/4pm pt, before Sporting KC hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps at 9pm et/6pm pt. http://www.sportingkansascitymlsshop.co … za-Jersey/ . The lightning strike was in the parking lot of Crew Stadium on Saturday night, but its not known if the off-duty lieutenant was struck directly, Columbus Fire Department Battalion Chief Tracy Smith said. The firefighter, identified as Lt. http://www.sportingkansascitymlsshop.co … ar-Jersey/ . Bach, a 59-year-old German lawyer, was elected Tuesday as president of the International Olympic Committee. He succeeds Jacques Rogge, who stepped down after 12 years. Bach, the longtime favourite, defeated five candidates in a secret ballot for the most influential job in international sports, keeping the presidency in European hands. http://www.sportingkansascitymlsshop.co … th-Jersey/ .J. -- While Martin Brodeur wasnt willing to say he stole one for the New Jersey Devils against the Columbus Blue Jackets, almost everyone else was. http://www.sportingkansascitymlsshop.co … da-Jersey/ . Fielder has been out with a herniated disk in his neck, and surgery was recommended after a follow-up exam and another scan Thursday with Dr. http://www.sportingkansascitymlsshop.co … go-Jersey/ . -- Crystal Webster avoided elimination at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Olympic pre-trial curling tournament with an 8-5 win over Amber Holland on Thursday.GREEN BAY, Wis. - With four NFC North titles and a Super Bowl victory in the past decade, Ted Thompson has had quite a run as Packers general manager. Thompson sees no reason to stop now, even as retirement age nears. The team announced after practice Wednesday the signing of Thompson to a multiyear contract extension. "The more you think about it, the more you think how nuts are you that youd walk away from something like this," Thompson said. "To get a chance to continue to do that after you put all the chips on the table, theres very little choice there. I want to be here." Terms of the deal were not announced. Thompson didnt comment on the specifics, either. "No. Im not a very specific guy," he said when asked if could be more specific about his contract, drawing laughs from reporters. Extending coach Mike McCarthys contract appears to be the next decision. Both the general manager and coach last signed extensions in 2011, within about a month after the Packers won the Super Bowl. "Big priority. Its been the plan the whole time," Thompson said about an extension for McCarthy. "The way the organization is set up ... its the way its always been done here. The general manager kind of gets put away and then you do the head coach." Thompson, 61, took over in 2005; McCarthy was hired in January 2006. "We anticipate each others thoughts often, which might drive both of us crazy sometimes, but I think its working well and has worked well," Thompson said. Thompson missed the NFL meetings in March for a personal matter. He appeared energized last week in addressing the annual Packers shareholders meeting. He might make a few more short trips home to go see family in his home state of Texas, though Thompson had no plans to delegate authority. He professed a continued love for scouting. Thompson doesnt have a timeline for how much longer he wants to work. "His outstanding work has been the key factor in the success that weve enjoyed in reccent years," team president Mark Murphy.dddddddddddd Thompsons deal is the second high-profile extension announced by the club in the opening week of camp, following the deal signed by top receiver Jordy Nelson on Saturday. They are among the highlights of what has been a smooth start to camp so far — though both McCarthy and Thompson bristled slightly when asked about the lack of distractions. "Thats me knocking on wood because you said something like that, jinxing it," said Thompson after knocking on the podium. "You never talk about your good fortunes." Also: IN AND OUT: Starting safety Morgan Burnett sat out some of practice Wednesday with what McCarthy called a "tweaked" ankle, though the injury didnt appear serious. Burnett remained on the sideline while Micah Hyde and first-round draft pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix got a few looks with the first team as the safety duo in red zone drills. Linebacker-defensive end Mike Neal practiced for the first time after watching the first few days with an abdominal injury. Inside linebacker Jamari Lattimore also returned after sitting out a few days because of illness. Guard T.J. Lang (shoulder) took part in position drills. IN THE HOUSE: McCarthy singled out fourth-year cornerback Davon Houses start to camp. He is part of what is looking like a deep position group in the secondary, especially with Casey Hayward at full speed from a hamstring injury that limited him last season. Sam Shields and Tramon Williams are the starting corners. RED ZONE: Nelson caught a couple of touchdowns during two-minute drill practice, including one from a scrambling Aaron Rodgers around the right edge that had the pass rushing Julius Peppers yell out in frustration. "The biggest thing when you get out there in two minutes is that youre a little ahead of the game because weve been going no-huddle since Day 1, so a lot the mechanics" carry over, McCarthy said. Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '